B.C.’s breweries are celebrating summer by releasing dozens of delicious and innovative beers that are perfect for enjoying outdoors.
Many of these beers are special, limited-edition releases, and some are only available at the breweries themselves. But, now that travel restrictions have been lifted, it’s OK to explore the province to visit breweries in other communities. Road trip anyone?!?
Plan your next getaway using the BC Ale Trail and be sure to download our app so that you can collect reward points at all the breweries you visit and then redeem them for prizes and discounts.
Most BC breweries have outdoor patios or picnic spaces to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. And many cities and municipalities also allow beer consumption in certain parks and/or beaches making it easy to include craft beer in a picnic.
BC’s creative brewers used a wide variety of ingredients and techniques to create these summer beers: berries and fruits are featured in many of the beers; sours and hazy IPAs continue to be popular; and many are lower-alcohol styles, ideal for enjoying in the summer sunshine.
Some of these beers are also raising funds for good causes, making them even more enticing.
Cheers to summer! Check out the full list below.
Two summer beers from Ace Brewing:
- Low Altitude New England Pale Ale (5.5% ABV) A light, easy-drinking hazy pale ale packed with juicy and tropical hop varieties.
- Under the Radar Dry-Hopped Pilsner (4.9% ABV) This light lager was heavily dry-hopped with two New Zealand hop varieties to create hop flavours of lemon, lime and white wine.
Ace Brewing can be found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 2.
Who Spiked the Punch Catharina Sour from Backroads Brewing (4.7% ABV | 5 IBU)
Mango, Guava, and Strawberry are added to this Catharina-style sour ale for big tropical and summer fruit flavour, balanced by a gentle salty and acidic finish. Perfect for sipping on hot summer days by the beach or on the patio.
Backroads Brewing can be found on the Kootenay Rockies West Ale Trail.
Three summer beers from Barnside Brewing:
- Summer Days Farmhouse Saison (4.2% ABV) A mixed fermentation saison brewed with wheat malt and Barnside’s own farm-grown barley malt and hops.
- Westham Island Strawberry Sour (4.4% ABV) This berrylicious sour ale was brewed with more than 500kg of strawberries freshly harvested from Emma Lea Farms on Westham Island.
- Beermosa (4% ABV) This sour-based, mimosa-style beer has an effervescent, champagne-like character with a juicy citrus kick.
Barnside Brewing can be found on the New West, Delta, Surrey & Richmond Ale Trail.
Two beers from Camp Beer Co.:
- CAMP Pilsner (4.9% ABV) A crisp, single malt and single hop (SMASH) lager.
- Sequoia Double IPA (9% ABV) A big and bold Double IPA brewed with brand new hop varieties. Notes of peach, citrus, and watermelon candy.
CAMP Beer Co. can be found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.
Three beers from Cannery Brewing:
- North Wheat Pilsner (3.8% ABV) As part of the Vox&Hops Metal Podcast “Brewtal North America” beer collab series, Cannery partnered with JUNO award-winning Vancouver-based band, Unleash the Archers. This dry-hopped pilsner was made with French Mistral and Barbe Rouge hops while singing “Northwest Passage” by Unleash the Archers.
- HDHC Citra IPA (7% ABV | 55 IBU) Part of Cannery’s “It’s Not Magic, It’s Science” series, this experimental IPA was brewed with Citra hops in three different formats.
- 3 Limes and a Gose Walk Into a Bar Imperial Lime Gose (7% ABV) Massive amounts of lime purée, lime juice and lime zest were added to this strong Gose along with traditional additions of sea salt and coriander, resulting in a tart and refreshing summer sipper.
Cannery Brewing can be found on the Penticton Ale Trail.
Two summer beers from Canoe Brewpub:
- Blueberry Sour (5% ABV | 11 IBU) This delicious sour beer pours a gorgeous purple colour thanks to the addition of butterfly pea flower.
- Apricot Mimosa Ale (5% ABV | 5 IBU) Big apricot flavour shines through this Brut Pale Ale-style beer.
- Also, look for a kiwi-strawberry sour with hibiscus coming in late July or early August.
Canoe Brewpub can be found on the Victoria Ale Trail.
Stone Fruit Saison by Category 12 Brewing (6.6% ABV | 26 IBU)
Light and flavourful, this saison brings together the natural, fruity tartness of apricot with a classic saison yeast strain. Expect a delicately spicy, stone-fruit laden libation with classic Belgian dryness.
Category 12 Brewing can be found on the Victoria Ale Trail.
Dagvar Czech Lager by Dageraad Brewing (3.8% ABV)
Clean and crisp with peppery notes and a subtle biscuit layer, the Czech Saaz hops are balanced, offering a gentle herbal character with minimal bitterness, all with a dry finish.
Dageraad Brewing in Burnaby will soon be added to the BC Ale Trail.
Two tasty beers from Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers:
- Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Saison (5% ABV | 18 IBU) This pink saison is refreshing, smooth and has a spicy floral kick.
- Tropical White IPA (6% ABV | 39 IBU) This IPA is fermented with Belgian yeast and three unique hop varieties: Bru-1, Vic Secret and Idaho-7.
Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers can be found on Vancouver’s North Shore Ale Trail.
BC to BC Cerveza from Faculty Brewing (5% ABV)
This dry-hopped lager was launched in collaboration with Alimentaria Mexicana, a restaurant that opened in June on Granville Island. Faculty brewed it to bring ideas and people together from Baja Columbia to British Columbia (BC to BC).
Faculty Brewing can be found on the Vancouver Brewery Creek Ale Trail.
Three beers from Farmhouse Brewing:
- Raspberry Lemonade Sour (8% ABV | 8 IBU) A large helping of raspberry and lemon gives this tart beer additional sweetness and fruitiness.
- Blackberry Peach Cobbler Sour (7% ABV | 8 IBU) Brewed with a blend of barley, wheat, and oats along with some brown sugar and cinnamon to help mimic Grandma’s best cobbler recipe.
- Pineapple Sabro Sour (5.3% ABV | 7 IBU) This kettle soured ale got a healthy helping of pineapple as well as a dry hop with Sabro hops, which are known for their coconut and tropical fruit flavours.
Farmhouse Brewing can be found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.
Barrel-aged Belgian Blonde by Fernie Brewing (6.1% ABV)
Aged in American Oak chardonnay barrels, this hoppy Belgian-style Blonde Ale was brewed with five specialty malts and four hops, resulting in a tasty beer jazzed up with notes of oak and white wine, and a touch of peach. Also, watch for the Eclipse Single Hop IPA coming from Fernie by early August.
Fernie Brewing can be found of the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail.
Two summer beers from Field House Brewing:
- Good Times Citra Pilsner (5% ABV | 15 IBU) This hoppy lager is packaged in Field House’s first 12-pack, ideal for camping and other summer adventures.
- Salted Lime Mexican Lager (4.9 ABV |15 IBU) Lime and salt add a classic twist on this light, refreshing style..
Field House Brewing can be found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.
Two delicious lagers from Firehall Brewery:
These are the first two lagers brewed at Firehall, and they did a great job — both are delicious and on point!
- Kick Axe Lager (5.3% ABV | 10 IBU) Crisp, light, and refreshing, this European-style lager was fermented cold with a lager yeast strain, and then lagered for 100 days.
- Hop to the Rescue India Pale Lager (4.7% ABV | 45 IBU) Light and crisp because of the lager yeast, this was dry-hopped with a blend of hop varieties, giving it a burst of citrusy, floral and herbal aromas, especially notes of lemons, grapefruit, evergreens, and mint.
Firehall Brewery is located in Oliver, BC.
Two summer beers from Five Roads Brewing:
- Serenity Now Hazy IPA (6% ABV | 30 IBU) Light and fruity, dry-hopped with Sabro and El Dorado hops providing coconut and pineapple notes.
- Double Whammy Passionfruit Mango Sour (5 ABV | 4 IBU) Tart and bursting with mango and passionfruit.
Five Roads Brewing can be found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.
Sun Rider Tangerine Session Ale by Foamers’ Folly Brewing (5% ABV | 17 IBU)
A refreshing, juicy, and distinctly citrus-forward session ale with dry-hop character and mild bitterness.
Foamers’ Folly Brewing in Pitt Meadows, BC, can be found on the Maple Ridge Ale Trail.
Two summer beers from Howe Sound Brewing:
- Utopia Mango Jalapeno (5% ABV) Tropical fruit meets jalapeno heat in this salsa sour.
- Lazy River Farmhouse Wheat Ale (4.3% ABV) Spicy and effervescent with a whisper of smoke.
Howe Sound Brewing can be found on the Squamish Ale Trail.
Two Exotic Summer Beers from Howl Brewing:
- Carrot Ginger Saison (5% ABV | 0 IBU) Brewed with mostly locally grown ingredients, including rosemary and fennel, as well as carrots from Farm or Die.
- Medieval Gruit (5% ABV | 0 IBU) Discover what beer tasted like 1000 years ago before brewers started using hops in their recipes. This dark herbal ale is made with fresh mugwort, yarrow, sage, and something known as “Old Man’s Beard” from the Northern Flora.
- Howl Brewing has a wide range of beers on tap, including some more traditional styles that are well-suited for the summer.
Howl Brewing can be found on the Victoria Ale Trail.
North Coast Trail Ale by Longwood Brewery (5% ABV | 26 IBU)
This beer is a special collaboration between Longwood Brewery in Nanaimo and the Scarlet Ibis Pub in Holberg, the northernmost pub on Vancouver Island. It is a fundraiser with 25¢ from every can sold going towards making Cape Scott Provincial Park and the North Coast Trail even better.
Longwood Brewery can be found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 1.
Two summer beers from Luppolo Brewing:
- El Malecón Mexican-Style Corn Lager (5% ABV) Brewed with barley and corn, this lager pours a pale straw yellow with a mousse-like head.
- I Remember My First Shandy! Lemon Golden Ale (5% ABV) A traditional British-style golden ale with copious amounts of lemon peel in the boil, fermented with kveik yeast and finished with Cascade hops from Pemberton Valley.
Luppolo Brewing can be found on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail.
Two New Zealand Hazy IPAs from Main Street Brewing:
Brewed with New Zealand hops, a special ingredient in both of these beers is the “Phantasm thiols” product, which is derived from freeze-dried Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grape skins, adding intense tropical notes and boosting the hop aromas to a whole new stratosphere.
- Betty (7.2% ABV | 38 IBU) Building off New Zealand’s Freestyle Hops’ “Betty Blend” of hops sourced straight from the Land of the Long White Clouds, Betty showcases flavours of passionfruit and lime zest and the complex aromas of the New Zealand terroir in every can.
- Bruce (7.2% ABV | 35 IBU) Bruce is big and hazy — just what you want in an IPA. As a tribute to hop master Bruce Eggers (who plies his trade in the Sunrise Valley of New Zealand), this beer channels the very best of NZ with Freestyle’s “Bruce Blend” hop mixture for a beer that offers up flavours of fresh gooseberry, candied pineapple and orange blossom.
Main Street Brewing can be found on the Vancouver-Brewery Creek Ale Trail.
Revelstoke Lager by Mt. Begbie Brewing (5% ABV | 13 IBU)
Mt. Begbie is celebrating its 25th anniversary with this beer packaged in a special Kootenanny Party Pack. One dollar from each case sold will be donated to Living Lakes Canada, which is working towards the long-term protection of fresh water for all Canadians.
Mt. Begbie Brewing can be found on the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail.
I’d Crush That Coconut Guava Sour by Nelson Brewing (5% ABV)
You’ll definitely want to find a can of this juicy guava bomb of a beer — both for the flavour and the gorgeous label by Skyler Punnett.
Nelson Brewing can be found on the Kootenay Rockies West Ale Trail.
Cruisin’ Raspberry Tea Radler by Old Yale Brewing (4% ABV | 0 IBU)
Refreshing and crisp, this radler blends a light and easy-drinking golden ale with a delicious Raspberry Black Tea blend.
Old Yale Brewing can be found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.
Frequency Blood Orange Hefeweizen from Red Arrow Brewing (4.9% ABV)
Celebrate 20 years of great tunes on 91.3 The Zone FM with this full-bodied and juicy wheat ale. It was brewed with a traditional weizen yeast and a heavy dose of blood orange, resulting in a rich red colour and a dense, flavourful head with zesty citrus notes.
Red Arrow recently renovated its lounge, adding a full kitchen that serves small bites such as wings, tzatziki and hummus, hand-stretched pizzas, salads and more.
Red Arrow Brewing can be found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 1.
Coconut Lime Blonde Ale by Rustic Reel Brewing (4.3% ABV | 15 IBU)
This spin-off of Rustic Reel’s Blonde Ale has plenty of toasted coconut and fresh limes added, making it extra refreshing during the summer heat.
Rustic Reel Brewing can be found on the Kelowna Ale Trail.
Three summer beers from Slackwater Brewing:
- Nautical Nonsense Pineapple Sour (4% ABV | 10 IBU) This light and refreshingly tart beer blends together the sweetness of pineapple, the acidity of our sour ale base, and gentle salinity from sea salt.
- Party Wave Hazy Pale Ale (4.5% | 25 IBU) This hazy beer has soft notes of citrus and stone fruit from multiple hop additions of Mosaic and Amarillo.
- Fiume Bianco Italian Pilsner (4.9% ABV | 18 IBU) Nelson Sauvin hops give this light notes of white grape, citrus and gooseberry.
Slackwater Brewing can be found on the Penticton Ale Trail.
Odd Birds New Zealand Pilsner from Strange Fellows Brewing (5.3% ABV | 30 IBU)
Dry-hopped with three classic New Zealand hop varieties—Motueka, Wakatu and Wai-iti—Odd Birds is a refreshing pilsner with citrusy, lime and fruity notes, and a soft, dry, slightly spicy finish.
Also, watch for Strange Fellows’ new Mixed Lager Box to launch in late July. It will feature four tasty lagers, perfect for the summer: Ludwig Festbier, Beldame Pilsner, Ferdinand Vienna Lager, and Odd Birds New Zealand Pilsner.
Strange Fellows Brewing can be found on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail.
Queen of Tart Prickly Pear Sour by Tin Whistle Brewing (5.3% ABV | 10 IBU)
Made with over 250 lbs. of prickly pear cactus fruit, this unique beer is rosy red, tart, and very fruity. Five cents from every can sold will be donated to the Osoyoos Desert Centre to support their conservation and restoration of one of Canada’s most rare, fragile and endangered ecosystems known as “Canada’s Pocket Desert”.
Tin Whistle Brewing can be found on the Penticton Ale Trail.
Big Orange Beer by Torchlight Brewing (5% ABV | 20 IBU)
Named for Nelson’s iconic Big Orange Bridge, or B.O.B as the locals call it, this Nordic wheat ale is stuffed with real natural orange puree, biotransformed hops, and Kveik yeast. It’s bursting with citrusy flavour.
Torchlight Brewing can be found on the Kootenay Rockies West Ale Trail.
Two summer beers from Trench Brewing:
- 1000 Peaks Belgian Blood Orange Witbier (5.15% ABV | 15 IBU) A traditional Belgian-style Witbier with spicy notes complemented by a bright citrus kick from the addition of blood orange.
- Intergalactic Mango Pale Ale (5% ABV | 20 IBU) This bright, fruity mango pale ale was masterfully dry-hopped with the elusive Galaxy hops bursting with citrus notes.
Trench Brewing can be found on the Northern BC Ale Trail.
Valley Pack from Twin City Brewing in Port Alberni, which includes:
- Tickity Boo British Pale Ale (5.5% ABV | 29 IBU) Malt-forward but dry with balanced earthy and floral flavours from authentic British hops.
- Swedish Gymnast Single-Hopped Blonde Ale (5% ABV | 24 IBU) A light blonde with a lot of hops.
- Run of the Mill West Coast IPA (7% ABV | 51 IBU) A hop-forward West Coast IPA.
- Porter Alberni Dry Porter (5.5% ABV | 27 IBU) A clean, dry porter with delicious roasted malt character.
Twin City Brewing can be found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 2.
The Island Hopper Mixed IPA Pack from Vancouver Island Brewing includes:
- Farmhouse Double IPA (8.7% ABV | 80 IBU) A mixed fermentation process gives this beer a spicy and dry finish.
- West Coast IPA (7% ABV | 80 IBU) With its aromas and flavours of citrus and pine, this beer is a toast to the West Coast Trail.
- Broken Islands Hazy IPA (6% ABV | 57 IBU) This hazy IPA is bursting with bold citrus aromas and flavours.
- Gewurztraminer Galaxy IPA (6.7% ABV | 60 IBU) This mix-pack exclusive brings together lychee and peach flavours of Gewurztraminer grapes along with passionfruit notes of Galaxy hops.
Vancouver Island Brewing can be found on the Victoria Ale Trail.
The Saving Grace Passionfruit Kiwi Gose by Vice & Virtue Brewing (5.1% ABV | 3 IBU)
V&V took a base beer of oats, wheat and pilsner malt, soured it with their house lacto blend, fermented it, and then racked onto an excessive amount of passion fruit and kiwi to naturally carbonate this easy-drinking summer beer.
Vice & Virtue Brewing can be found on the Kelowna Ale Trail.
Pam’s Black Currant Saison from Whistle Buoy Brewing (5.3% ABV | 28 IBU)
Fermented with Jotunn, a saison-kveik hybrid yeast, which added some peppery, liquorice notes to the earthy tartness of the currants. This beer was made to showcase the beautiful black currants from Silver Rill Berry Farm, and the name pays respect to Pamela, the farmer who works tirelessly to grow these amazing berries on the Saanich Peninsula.
Whistle Buoy Brewing can be found on the Victoria Ale Trail.
Travel in BC
Travel is part of our DNA and we’re all excited to see it return and welcome our neighbours from Alberta and the rest of Canada. Summer 2021 is a great time to #exploreBCnow and connect with family and friends and explore everything British Columbia has to offer – great cities, incredible nature, and parts less travelled ready to welcome people. Step 3 has a lot of changes, such as masks being optional for those who have had both vaccination shots, and showing proof of vaccination is not required. It’s important to remember we are all learning as we go, and we need to have kindness and patience at the heart of everything we do. We’re asking everyone to be patient as we work to get our services to the same high levels they were before the pandemic. We’re improving quality all the time as we address staffing shortages, train new staff, and adapt to new guidelines. The B.C. government information on travel and business rules are online at www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel.
